Proud
by lingyao123
Summary: Ed and Roy have always had a pretty rough relationship. Roy is infuriatingly snarky and stuck up, and Ed has a temper like a rabid pit bull. But when the Colonel's life is threatened and a new face from his past turns up, Ed finds that there's more to Roy Mustang than meets the eye. (Not a romance fic, but there are hints of Royai and EdWin.)


"No, Winry, I just need a maintenance check, it's nothing serious . . . Broken? No! I already told you- Winry, I promise, it's fine! I just need to make sure- NO! For crying out loud, it's just squeaking a little in the knee! . . . Okay, okay, fair enough. How about Tuesday?"

Al chuckled slightly to himself. Those two never could get through a phone call without some kind of argument. Ed was arranging a check-up for his automail with Winry, so of course, she automatically assumed that she was in for another all-nighter building a completely new leg.

"All right, Friday it is. I'll see you then. How's Granny doing?"

A knock sounded at the door, so Al got up to answer it. One of the hotel staff stood in the doorway, looking harried.

"Sir," he said wearily, "there is a man on the line downstairs who insists that he needs to speak with the Elric brothers. Apparently, the line in your room was busy. He says that it is most urgent."

Al nodded, concerned. "I'll be right down," he assured him. He turned back to Ed, who was looking at him curiously. "Another phone call," he explained. "Says it's important. I'll go answer it, no need to worry Winry."

Ed nodded. "Thanks, Al," he mouthed.

The two of them talked of family and home and when was Ed coming back, now that he'd finished visiting the Hughes? Well, he didn't really know. As much as he loved home, Central felt like a home in a way, too. Albeit a broken, screwed up home.

"Soon," he answered. "I just want to make a couple more visits before I go. I might even go and pop in on Mustang and his clowns, just to bug him. . . . No, I'm not gonna stir up any trouble," he chuckled. "I'm only kidding. I still might go to see them, though. I hear Havoc's finally back on his feet! . . . Yeah, it is! . . . No, I don't know. He might just go back to his store. I know I would. Nobody in their right minds would try to come back to that hellhole of a military. He was lucky to get out as it is. . . ." He sighed. "No, of course I don't mean that. Well, maybe a little."

Al came back through the door, pale and out of breath.

Ed frowned. "Hang on, Winry." He put the receiver down for a moment. "Al, how many times do I have to tell you not to push yourself? One of these days-"

"The Colonel's been shot."

A long silence ensued, shocked and heavy.

"Shot . . . ?"

Al nodded. "In the chest. It only barely missed his heart. He's still alive, but . . ." He bit his lip. "Jean Havoc was the one who called. He and everyone else are already at the hospital."

Ed blanched as well, picking up the phone again. "Winry?" His voice trembled almost imperceptibly. "Listen, I'm gonna call you back, okay? . . . Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye." He set the phone back down without bothering to hang it in its cradle properly. "I'll pay for a cab," he said tersely, grabbing his coat from a chair and hurrying out the door without another word.

Lieutenant Hawkeye sat in the waiting room, her expression as blank and unmoving as marble. She'd been clammed up ever since she got the news. She was listed as one of Roy's emergency contacts, after his foster mother, so she'd gotten the call almost immediately after he was wheeled in. She was the one who called Havoc and the others, but she let them make the rest of the calls. She felt worn out and empty and wanted to just shut down.

She noticed dimly that her hands were shaking. Strange. It was like her body and her mind were two separate beings.

"Lieutenant?"

Riza looked up to find a very white Edward staring at her. His brother was close behind, leaning on his cane for support.

"Hello, Edward," she said, her voice quieter than she'd intended, standing up. "Sorry about all this. Havoc thought you two ought to know what was going on."

"How is he?" he asked, getting right to the point.

"They say he'll be all right," Hawkeye assured him. "Unless something goes wrong in the surgery, but that's very unlikely. He has a good chance."

Ed sighed with relief. "That's good news," he said weakly.

Riza nodded, and her composure slipped for a moment. "It's very good news," she breathed, looking at her boots.

The conversation apparently at an end, Ed gave her a hesitant pat on the shoulder, but she didn't seem to mind. He went to find a seat in the waiting room.

Havoc, Falman, Fuery, and Breda were all there, of course. So was Major Armstrong, who seemed very quiet for once. Even General Grumman was there, reading a magazine in the corner. There was also a heavy-set, older woman there, sitting next to him. She had dark hair and wore too much makeup. Every now and then, she and the General would exchange a word or two, but like the rest of the room, the silence pressed upon them. Ed wondered dimly who she was.

Someone else burst into the waiting room rather confusedly, her golden-brown hair in tangles, hectic blue eyes wide and searching. She made a hasty apology to the woman at the counter and made her way to the waiting room, wringing her hands.

Ed frowned. Was that one of Mustang's girlfriends? Disgusting. She had to be at least ten years younger than him. To his surprise, she went right for Riza, who gave her a hug. He wasn't sure which surprised him more - the Lieutenant giving someone a hug, or the fact that it was Mustang's girlfriend that she was hugging.

They talked for a moment, then the girl hugged her again and made her way to the older woman in the corner, hugging her as well. The way they talked, Ed would have guessed her to be the girl's mother, except that there was no resemblance between them.

Well, actually, with as much makeup as the older woman was wearing, who knew?

After talking with her for a while, she waved to Mustang's officers, who all greeted her with warmth. Jeez, Ed thought. Who is this kid?

Having finished her greetings, she made for the only empty seat in the room, which Ed realized was next to him. She plopped down beside him wearily, rubbing her temples.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled to Ed, although he wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, unless it was for sitting down next to a complete stranger. "No worries," he said awkwardly.

She turned to give him a smile, and Ed blinked. There was something so sincere and sweet about her countenance that put him off guard. How could Mustang fool around with a kid like this?

"You're Fullmetal," she said suddenly, her face lighting up. "I mean- That is, Edward. Right?"

Ed nodded, surprised. "Yeah, that's me. Have we met?"

She smiled again. "Once, but I doubt you would remember it." She turned to Al. "And you must be Alphonse!"

Al nodded, holding out a polite hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said, smiling as well.

"I'm Lira," she said, shaking his hand warmly. "Lira Mustang."

Ed nearly had a seizure. "He's married?!" he spluttered, and Al made a choking noise, looking at his brother reproachfully.

Lira started, confused, but after a moment, she began to laugh uproariously. "Married?!" she gasped. "No! He's my brother!"

Ed turned red. "Eh . . . Right. Sorry. Of course."

"Good lord," she chuckled. "Married. I wish that were the case." Her gaze shifted to the weary Lieutenant sitting across the room and she sobered slightly. "Anyway, I almost can't believe how many people are here . . ." She smiled gently, scanning the room again. "It's really amazing. I wish he could see everyone right now."

Ed looked around as well, at all the anxious and weary faces. The Colonel had made more than just political allies. He suddenly noticed his own nervous heart rate and knotted stomach, and frowned. No use in getting so torn up over the old bastard. But even as the thought crossed his mind, he felt guilty and sick.

"Do they know what happened?" Ed asked.

Lira's face darkened. "Drunks," she said bitterly. "It's hard to believe, really. He found a group of them fighting, tried to intervene, and got shot for his troubles."

Ed's expression turned grim. After Ishval, the Promised Day, fighting immortal beings and surviving human transmutation, he nearly gets killed by drunks brawling in the street?

"I'm just glad I was here," she said in a small voice. "I'm a student at a university in norther Aerugo, you see. I just came up to visit yesterday. If I hadn't . . ." She took a breath to calm herself as Ed and Al fidgeted awkwardly in their seats, at a loss.

"So you said he's your brother?" Al asked, to end the oppressive silence.

"Well, foster brother," Lira explained. "We both have the same foster mother, Chris Mustang."

Ed looked back at the older woman in the corner as it dawned on him. So that was why there was no resemblance.

"I never knew he was an orphan," Al said, surprised.

"Well, I can't say I'm shocked," Lira said quietly. "He never speaks of his parents. Not that I know, anyway. I still don't really know what happened to them, other than one day, they just . . . weren't around anymore." She frowned, looking down at her lap. "I've never pressed him about it. I suppose it's painful."

Ed nodded, a new picture of the Colonel beginning to form in his mind. He'd never known . . .

"I came to the Mustangs when I was three," Lira continued. "Roy was twelve. He was so wonderful." She smiled wistfully. "Always looking out for me, he was. A kind of a mixture between brother, father, and friend. Even when he was living with the Hawkeyes."

Ed started again. "You don't mean Hawkeyes as in the Lieutenant's family?" he said incredulously.

"Well, of course." She seemed surprised. "You didn't know? The Lieutenant's father was the one who taught Roy flame alchemy. He lived with them for three years after he turned fifteen. Chris was still his legal guardian, of course, but since it was just the Lieutenant and her father, they decided that they might as well let him live with them."

"How about that," Ed said with a whistle. "I had no idea those two went so far back. I always assumed that they met in the military."

"Nope," Lira smiled. "In fact, they go a little farther back. They were classmates together for a couple of years in grade school. That was how Roy knew Master Hawkeye was an alchemist. At least, that's what he tells me. That was before I came in. Apparently, after the Lieutenant's mother died, they suddenly moved away. I imagine city life was painful for them both," she said softly.

Ed was having a hard time processing all of this. His view of the Colonel continued to shift and change, but never fit into the mould that Ed had set for him. It didn't make sense.

"I was rather jealous," Lira admitted with a rueful laugh. "I was still only six when he left, and didn't have any other close friends. I was shy, you see. And that was my first year of school, too. What a nightmare. I was terrified! Chris used to find me crying for Roy at the bus stop." She shook her head, chuckling. "I spent most of my days after school going back and forth between my house and the Hawkeyes' home. But I couldn't live with them. I couldn't be away from Chris without knowing that she was coming right back for me! I was such a silly little kid," she sighed. "Still, seeing Roy so much, and getting to know Riza- er, the Lieutenant, that is- it just made that whole year so much better. They were all so good to me, even though I was such a spoiled kid."

Ed mentally disagreed. She didn't sound like she was spoiled. Just afraid of being alone.

"But after that first year, I felt bad about leaving Chris on her own so much, so I didn't visit as often. Usually once every weekend. I called every day, though. And Roy came to see us every now and then. It was like we were all one family!" Her smile faded. "Then . . ."

"Then he wanted to be a soldier," Ed finished.

Lira nodded. "Yeah." She sighed. "But he was so different back then. Believe it or not, he was that poor, naive idealist that genuinely wanted to help their country. 'It's my duty,' he used to say. 'Alchemy is supposed to be used for the good of the people. This is something I have to do!'" She frowned. "Poor Master Hawkeye was opposed to it from the beginning. Hated the military and their use of alchemy." Her hands shook slightly, clasped in her lap. "He was . . . ill, you see. Really ill. He actually died the day Roy went to tell him what he was doing." She shuddered. "It was so awful. He and the Lieutenant were in the room when he passed. She came back with him to Chris's house after that, because she couldn't bear to stay at that house. I'd never seen either of them look so broken."

Ed found that he couldn't look her in the eye. He imagined what it would be like to lose Izumi or Sig like that, and a lump rose in his throat.

"But he joined the military anyway," Lira said quietly. "Riza said that he should do what he thought was right. And, honestly, as much as I hate what the war did to him, I still think he probably made the right decision. And he didn't just take the state alchemy exam and earn a research grant. I guess that wasn't enough. He enlisted. Went to the academy and everything. He would send us letters all the time. He was so happy there, he said. Felt like he was where he needed to be." She let out a deep breath. "We heard plenty about one of his fellow cadets, Maes Hughes. His girlfriend, too." She smiled sadly. "I suppose that's one good thing that came out of his years in the military. I'm glad that he had a friend like Mr. Hughes."

"I think I can understand that," Al said gently. "I'm glad to have known him, too. Even if . . . if it was hard afterwards."

Lira nodded. "I'm sure Roy feels that way, too." She bit her lip. "Mr. Hughes was a- a good man."

She took a deep breath. "Well, then the Ishval conflict began, and Roy was shipped off to fight. He was twenty, then, and I was eleven. That was the most terrifying year of my life. His, too, I'm sure. Not knowing if he was coming home . . . Every letter was more than comfort. It was relief. Just knowing that he was alive made us want to cry.

"And then . . . it was just over. Just like that. One day, he called to say he was coming home, and we went to meet him at the train station. I'll never forget that day. The look on his face. How much older he seemed. Grimmer. Shattered."

And then Ed saw him. The sharp tongue of a cynic. The cold demeanor of one who's been burned. And yet the echoes of the idealist's good intentions and the loyalty of a soldier.

"He's still always been my best friend," Lira smiled. "Even after he'd changed. He'll always be my brother, no matter what." She looked at him hesitantly. "You remind me of him, you know."

Ed blinked. "Me?" He bristled slightly. "I'm nothing like him. I take that as an insult."

"Brother," Al said reproachfully.

"If you say so," Lira chuckled, holding her hands up in defense. "But you do."

Ed shook his head, muttering incoherently, but didn't really seem to be very offended, no matter what Lira said. Maybe if Mustang hadn't been at death's door, he would have denied it a bit more heartily.

"He's proud of you," she said suddenly. "Both of you. Even if he won't say so, because I'm almost certain that he'd jump off of a cliff before he told you that."

Ed looked at her doubtfully. Proud? Grudgingly acknowledging of their skill, perhaps. Maybe even professionally respectful. But proud?

"He is," she insisted, sensing his doubt. "He speaks highly of you in his letters. Always professionally, of course. 'The Elrics never cease to amaze,' I think he said once. And 'I may have to watch my back. Fullmetal could just give me a run for my money one of these days.'"

Ed stared at her, unable to believe his ears. He'd never once heard anything like that come from the Colonel. "Are you sure that wasn't meant as sarcasm?"

Lira laughed. "Absolutely. I admit it's harder to tell in writing, but . . ."

"But what?" Al prodded timidly.

Lira hesitated. "After he met you," she said slowly, "he came home for a visit. Chris could tell something was bothering him, so she tried to get him to talk about it. He didn't give any details, of course. He would never breach protocol like that. But he told us about these two young alchemists that made a strong impression on him. How sharp they were and how impressed he was by their skill at such a young age. He said that he hoped that they'd take the exam and become state alchemists."

Ed and Al both felt their stomachs twisting. Again, that was more than they'd ever heard him say.

"But he still seemed withdrawn," Lira continued. "So I tried to talk to him that night before he left. I couldn't understand why he would recommend someone so young to the military, especially after his own experience, having to live with being a dog of the military. Why would he throw a couple of kids into the lion's den?

"He told me that the military couldn't possibly offer anything more horrible than what they'd already been through. And then . . . He just looked so old and so sad when he looked at me. I'll never forget what he said. 'Those kids the were practically dead when I met them. One of them didn't even speak the whole time I was there. But I could see a spark. And with the proper fuel, it can grow into a flame. If someone can give them the right tools, they might be able to fix their mistakes. I want to give those kids their best chance, so that they can set things right.'"

Finally, Ed understood why Mustang had fought so hard to get him where he was. They had a common goal: to right all of the wrongs that they'd caused. To try and pick up the broken pieces of their lives and try to make something useful out of them.

And before he realized what he was doing, he heard himself saying "I hope he'll be okay."

"Me, too," Al agreed quietly.

"I remember you," Ed said suddenly, turning to Lira. "You were in Mustang's office when he gave us the Youswell assignment. You shook my hand . . ." The automail one.

Lira beamed. "So you do remember. I'm glad."

The whole waiting room fell silent as a doctor came from the operating room, looking pale but not grim.

"Chris Mustang?" he called, reading the name from a clipboard.

The older woman stood up and walked over, speaking to the doctor in hushed tones. After a moment, he nodded and returned the way he came.

"Roy is going to make it out of surgery," she announced in the grating voice of a heavy smoker, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Applause and cheering swept through the room and every face was grinning widely.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Mrs. Mustang continued, after the noise died down. "But he'll be all right. They're replacing what he lost as we speak. He'll be here in the hospital for a while, but he's going to make it."

To Ed's surprise, Hawkeye looked near tears. Mustang's team all walked over to pat her on the back, and she merely nodded, her law clenched and her eyes glistening.

Ed and Al laughed with relief and Lira actually did cry a bit. She leapt up to hug her foster mother again, then went to hug Hawkeye, and Armstrong was hugging everyone in sight while weeping quite loudly. Ed and Al made sure to keep their distance from the overcome major.

When the time came for Ed to visit the Colonel, nothing between them would change. But he would look at him with new understanding and respect, and perhaps even gratitude. And although neither of them would admit it, they would be genuinely glad to have known each other.

**Fin!**

**This is actually not a particular headcanon of mine. I admit that I've always wondered if Roy ever had foster siblings, although I don't remember any being mentioned. But Lira was a character that I created purely for the purpose of this story, and I don't think I'll be writing about her again. I'll never say never, of course, but it isn't likely.**

**Anyway, please be brutal in your criticism! Thank you, my lovelies! Mwah!**


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